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Can Black Americans Afford Obama?
Townhall.com ^ | June 9, 2010 | Walther E. Williams

Posted on 06/09/2010 7:49:46 AM PDT by Kaslin

My March 2008 column "Is Obama Ready for America?" started out: "Some pundits ask whether America is ready for Obama. The much more important question is whether Obama is ready for America and even more important is whether black people can afford Obama." Let's look at this.

In 1947, Jackie Robinson, in signing a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers, broke the color bar in Major League Baseball. In 1950, three blacks broke the color bar in the National Basketball Association (NBA): Earl Lloyd (Washington Capitals), Chuck Cooper (Boston Celtics) and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton (New York Knicks). Their highly successful performances opened the way for other blacks to follow -- peaking at 27 percent in Major League Baseball and 80 percent in the NBA.

Without a question, the first blacks, relative to their white peers, in professional sports were exceptional. There's no sense of justice that should require that these players be as good as they were in order to get a job. But the fact of business, in order to deal with racial hostility and stereotypes of incompetence, they had to be first rate and possess character beyond question. It was not only important for their careers, it was important for their fellow blacks. At the time the sports color bar was being broken, black people could ill afford stumblebums. Today, black people can afford stumblebums in several sports. In fact, black people can afford for the Philadelphia Sixers to put Williams in their starting lineup. Any person watching me mess up royally would have to be a lunatic to say, "Those blacks can't play basketball." The bottom line is that whether we like it or not, whether for good reason or bad reason, whether it's fair or unfair, people make stereotypes, and stereotypes can have effects.

In that March 2008 column, I said, "For the nation and for black people, the first black president should be the caliber of a Jackie Robinson and Barack Obama is not. Barack Obama has charisma and charm but in terms of character, values and understanding, he is no Jackie Robinson." Obama's electoral success was truly remarkable. It's a testament to the essential goodness of the American people. A June 6-9, 2008 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll reported "that 17 percent were enthusiastic about Obama being the first African American President, 70 percent were comfortable or indifferent, and 13 percent had reservations or were uncomfortable."

President Obama, with the assistance of devious House and Senate leadership, has gotten a health care law enacted that the majority of American voters are against. According to a recent Rasmussen poll, 58 percent of voters support repeal of the health care law. Under the president's leadership, the 2010 budget deficit will reach more than $1.5 trillion, about 10 percent of gross domestic product, the largest deficit since the end of World War II. We're not that far behind the troubled nation of Greece, which has a current budget deficit of nearly 13 percent of GDP. Our national debt at $13 trillion is about 90 percent of GDP and budgeted to grow by $9 trillion over the next decade. On the diplomatic front, the Obama team is not doing much better, showing every sign of permitting a terrorist nation like Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.

Early indications suggest that the Barack Obama presidency might turn out to be similar to the failed presidency of Jimmy Carter. That's bad news for the nation but especially bad news for black Americans. No white presidential candidate had to live down the disgraced presidency of Carter but I'm all too fearful that a future black presidential candidate will find himself carrying the heavy baggage of a failed black president. That's not a problem for white liberals who voted for Obama who received their one-time guilt-relieving dose from voting for a black man to be president, but it is a problem for future generations of black Americans.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: walterewilliams; walterwilliams; whyhecare; williams
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To: Kaslin

No white presidential candidate had to live down the disgraced presidency of Carter.

I disagree, every candidate sense then has hoped they wouldn’t be the epic failure Carter was and distanced themselves from everything that idiot did.


21 posted on 06/09/2010 8:13:03 AM PDT by maddog55 (OBAMA, Why stupid people shouldn't vote.)
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To: Carley

When did black America, and America in general, start to celebrate the ghetto culture? Ghetto attitudes have penetrated middle class kids of all races and backgrounds nowadays.

Black America did not always celebrate ghetto and gang culture. There have always been gangs and criminal hustlers but such behavior was discouraged.


22 posted on 06/09/2010 8:13:07 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Pollster1

I would not have a problem voting for a conservative black candidate


23 posted on 06/09/2010 8:13:08 AM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for OBAMA: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: Kaslin

WEW is a GREAT guest host for Rush - so my post flowed from that observation.


24 posted on 06/09/2010 8:15:05 AM PDT by newfreep (Palin/DeMint 2012 - Bolton: Secy of State)
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To: Kaslin
Early indications suggest that the Barack Obama presidency might turn out to be similar to the failed presidency of Jimmy Carter.

Most voters alive today did not live through Jimmy Carter's failure, which is the only reason the smiling socialist salesman Barack Obama won. Barack's unfolding failure is bad news for hard leftists, not black Americans, of which a half-white half-Kenyan is not. In a generation people will have forgotten about Obama and the hard left will get another chance to destroy America.

25 posted on 06/09/2010 8:17:23 AM PDT by Reeses (Sowcialist: a voter bought with food stamps)
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To: Pollster1
I usually agree with Williams, but this time I think he’s wrong.

I think Williams is right on the money. I've been thinking the same thing for quite a while. There won't be another black president for another fifty years. And when the next one is elected they will be a Republican that has a better agenda than just getting more handouts for his homies.

26 posted on 06/09/2010 8:17:26 AM PDT by BubbaBasher ("Liberty will not long survive the total extinction of morals" - Sam Adams)
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To: Kaslin
No white presidential candidate had to live down the disgraced presidency of Carter...

Tell that to Mondale, LOL!


27 posted on 06/09/2010 8:18:14 AM PDT by whd23
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To: newfreep

I agree.. The only intelligent fill ins are Mark Styen and Walter Williams..I can’t stand Davis or Belling for that matter.
How about Ol ElRushie finding a good female fill in and not Laura Ingraham..can’t stand her voice for more than a short time. How about Michelle Malkin?


28 posted on 06/09/2010 8:20:42 AM PDT by celtic gal
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To: newfreep

I agree, but it still has nothing to do with the article


29 posted on 06/09/2010 8:20:44 AM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for OBAMA: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: B4Ranch

“One of the prettiest sounds on earth” is the Muslim call to prayer at sunset.
Barack Hussein Obama as quoted”

...”one of the prettiest sounds on earth” is a judge sentencing Obama to 20 years for a laundry list of crimes against America. albie as quoted.


30 posted on 06/09/2010 8:20:56 AM PDT by albie
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To: GatorGirl

I would love to see Rush have Ken Hamblin (The Black Avenger)fill in sometime.


31 posted on 06/09/2010 8:21:21 AM PDT by Despot of the Delta
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To: Stosh
Why bother? WEW is just another globalist/toady who could care less about anyone or anything - just to keep his soft gig.
32 posted on 06/09/2010 8:23:02 AM PDT by investigateworld (Abortion stops a beating Heart)
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To: Kaslin

WEW write the article - sheeesh, do you get it now?


33 posted on 06/09/2010 8:23:15 AM PDT by newfreep (Palin/DeMint 2012 - Bolton: Secy of State)
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To: All

“Black America” had better wake up and understand something: you NEED a prosperous white community.
That will sound insensitive to Lefties, but anyone with a basic understanding of economics will know it to be true...


34 posted on 06/09/2010 8:25:02 AM PDT by Maverick68
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To: celtic gal

Good idea re: a woman guest host. IIRC, Sean had “Rose” from his Pittsburgh affiliate fill him during the Christmas holidays last year and she did a great job!


35 posted on 06/09/2010 8:25:04 AM PDT by newfreep (Palin/DeMint 2012 - Bolton: Secy of State)
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To: Navy Patriot
Obama's electoral success was truly remarkable. It's a testament to the essential goodness of the American people.

Much as I admire Dr. Williams writing, I'd disagree here.

Baraq's election was more a testament to the MSM/SCM failing to report what he was really all about.

36 posted on 06/09/2010 8:25:05 AM PDT by nascarnation
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To: Kaslin

That’s why the first black president should have been a hardcore constitutional conservative.


37 posted on 06/09/2010 8:25:28 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a (de)humanist and a Satanist is that the latter knows who he's working for.)
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To: Kaslin

Herman Cain is “prayerfully considering” running...

I have told hundreds of folks so far this, and the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. And the few (around these parts) that haven’t heard of him, once they check him out, his beliefs, stance on issues, read his writings and hear his speeches, they are sold very quickly.

And this is true (in GA, in one of the most conservative counties in the country) People are smart enough to separate “black” from “liberal”.

Not only that, but there seems to be a growing population of black conservatives down here, I attribute a lot of that to folks like Herman Cain. He is as conservative and powerful a speaker as Rush, and he’s a man of faith and good character.


38 posted on 06/09/2010 8:26:40 AM PDT by justsaynomore (The Hermantor - 2012 - www.hermancain.com)
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To: newfreep

Mark somethin’...

:)


39 posted on 06/09/2010 8:27:24 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a (de)humanist and a Satanist is that the latter knows who he's working for.)
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To: Kaslin

A solidly conservative candidate, with deep experience and intellect, gets my vote—no matter what they look like.


40 posted on 06/09/2010 8:28:04 AM PDT by Nepeta
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